Formerly known as "Restore it All," The Backup Wrap-up podcast turns unappreciated backup admins into cyber recovery heroes. After a brief analysis of backup-related news, each episode dives deep into one topic that you can use to better protect your organization from data loss, be it from accidents, disasters, or ransomware. The Backup Wrap-up is hosted by W. Curtis Preston (Mr. Backup) and his co-host Prasanna Malaiyandi. Curtis' passion for backups began over 30 years ago when his employe ...
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W Curtis Preston Mr Backup Podcasts

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Mission Impossible Movie Teaches Real Cyber Security Lessons
46:21
46:21
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46:21This episode explores surprising cyber security lessons hidden within Mission: Impossible's latest blockbuster. We analyze how Hollywood's depiction of AI threats, immutable backups, and air-gapped storage actually reflects real-world data protection challenges. Curtis and Prasanna dissect the movie's central premise: an AI entity altering digital …
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The EU Cloud Exit - Backup Strategies for Digital Sovereignty
36:58
36:58
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36:58The EU cloud exit movement is reshaping how European organizations think about data storage and sovereignty. Companies across Europe are moving away from US-based cloud providers like Microsoft 365, AWS, and Google Workspace due to concerns about the Cloud Act and data privacy regulations. In this episode, Curtis and Prasanna explore the backup imp…
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What Is an Air Gap Backup? Real Protection vs Marketing
33:32
33:32
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33:32Air gap has become one of the most overused and misunderstood terms in backup and recovery. In this episode, W. Curtis Preston and Prasanna explore what air gap really means, tracing its origins from the days when everyone used tape storage to modern virtual implementations. They discuss how true air gap required physical separation - tapes stored …
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Largest Data Breach in History: What You Need to Know
48:45
48:45
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48:45The largest data breach in recent memory has exposed 16 billion login credentials across multiple databases, and we're here to help you understand what it means for your security. This massive exposure involves data stolen primarily through infostealer malware rather than a single company breach. Join W. Curtis Preston, Dr. Mike Saylor, and Prasann…
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This episode breaks down snapshot backup fundamentals, covering the key differences between traditional storage snapshots and cloud-based approaches. Curtis and Prasanna explain copy-on-write versus redirect-on-write methods, performance implications, and why some snapshot systems can degrade performance by up to 50%. Learn about NetApp's redirect-…
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Human error has replaced hardware failures as the primary driver of data loss and restore operations in modern IT environments. This episode explores real-world examples of how both end users and administrators create the need for backup and recovery operations through accidental deletions, configuration mistakes, and poor processes. W. Curtis Pres…
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Learn how to extract measurable ROI from your backups beyond traditional disaster recovery. Curtis and Prasanna explore proven strategies for extracting business value from backup infrastructure through test and development environments, security monitoring, compliance checking, and AI-powered analytics. Discover why the shift from tape to disk sto…
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World Backup Day: Take the Pledge to Protect Your Data
34:23
34:23
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34:23World Backup Day falls on March 31st - the day before April Fool's Day because not backing up your data is no joke. In this episode, hosts W. Curtis Preston and Prasanna Malaiyandi discuss alarming statistics about data loss and why proper backup strategies are essential for business survival. The hosts break down the famous 3-2-1 backup rule and h…
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Ransomware Targets VMware ESXi: Melissa Palmer Explains the Threat
51:51
51:51
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51:51You've found The Backup Wrap-up, your go-to podcast for all things backup, recovery, and cyber-recovery. In this episode, we tackle one of the scariest threats out there - ransomware targeting VMware ESXi environments. I'm joined by Prasanna Malaiyandi and our special guest Melissa Palmer, also known as @vmiss, who's an independent technology analy…
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Breaking Down the VeeamOn Announcements for Backup Admins
45:24
45:24
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45:24In this episode of The Backup Wrap-up, W. Curtis Preston breaks down the key VeeamON announcements from the VeeamON 2025 conference in San Diego. He highlights Veeam's focus on security and ransomware defense, including their new CrowdStrike integration and data resilience maturity model developed with McKinsey and MIT. Curtis shares his excitement…
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DOGE and GSA Claim $1M Savings by Ditching Old Tape Tech
46:17
46:17
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46:17DOGE and GSA recently made headlines with a tweet claiming $1 million annual savings by converting 14,000 magnetic tapes to "permanent modern digital records." In this episode, W. Curtis Preston and Prasanna Malaiyandi analyze whether this claim is possible – although they cannot actually validate it due to lack of information. They discuss that DO…
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Why Tape Backup for Small Business Makes Sense Against Ransomware
38:03
38:03
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38:03Tape backup for small business might sound like old tech, but Mag Store's new Thunderbolt-compatible tape drive could change that perception. In this episode, we discuss how this new offering potentially opens tape technology to a wider market of SMBs and content creators looking for ransomware protection and cost-effective long-term storage. Curti…
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How Forever Incremental Backup Changed the World
43:46
43:46
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43:46In this episode of The Backup Wrap-Up, Curtis and Prasanna explore how forever incremental backup technology revolutionized the data protection industry. They discuss the evolution from traditional backup methods to modern approaches that eliminate the need for regular full backups, dramatically reducing network traffic, storage requirements, and b…
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Cloud vs Tape Throwdown: Which is Better for Archiving?
36:14
36:14
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36:14In this episode of The Backup Wrap-Up, we look at the cloud vs tape debate for active archives. The conversation was sparked by a LinkedIn post claiming tape libraries are the only robots not making things easier in 2025, suggesting cloud is superior to tape for active archives. We challenge this premise by pointing out that cloud vs tape is a fals…
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Disaster Recovery Lessons from 9/11 and Beyond
35:54
35:54
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35:54In this eye-opening episode of The Backup Wrap-up, W. Curtis Preston and Prasanna Malaiyandi unpack crucial disaster recovery lessons from major events like 9/11. They discuss how companies lost both primary and backup data centers when both World Trade Center towers fell, highlighting why geographic separation is non-negotiable. The hosts break do…
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How to Choose the Best Password Manager: Security Features That Matter
41:08
41:08
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41:08In this episode of The Backup Wrap-up, Curtis and Prasanna discuss how to choose the best password manager in light of recent security breaches. They examine the LastPass hack that resulted in $150 million of stolen cryptocurrency and what that teaches us about password manager security. The hosts break down the critical security features to look f…
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Is Tape Backup Dead? Why This Technology Still Matters
56:25
56:25
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56:25Tape backup isn't dead – but it's glory days are gone. In this episode, W. Curtis Preston and Prasanna Malaiyandi discuss why tape backup remains relevant despite its diminished role in operational backups. They reveal how cloud giants have become the biggest consumers of tape technology while explaining common misconceptions about tape's performan…
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In this episode of The Backup Wrap-up, W. Curtis Preston and Prasanna Malaiyandi discuss critical strategies for securing your backup disk against cyber threats. They explain why the default configuration of storing backups in easily accessible directories makes your backup disk vulnerable to threat actors who specifically target backup systems bef…
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Your 4-Hour Recovery Time Objective is Fantasy
38:40
38:40
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38:40Ever wonder why your recovery time objective seems impossible to meet? In this episode, we challenge the common assumption that a four-hour RTO is achievable for most organizations. Host W. Curtis Preston and guest Prasanna Malaiyandi discuss why these aggressive recovery time objectives often exist only on paper. From ransomware attacks to natural…
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Passwords vs Passkeys: The Future of Backup Security
43:14
43:14
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43:14In this eye-opening episode about passwords vs passkeys, W. Curtis Preston and Prasanna Malaiyandi expose why traditional password protection isn't enough for your backup systems anymore. They break down the evolution from basic passwords to MFA, and explain why passkeys and FIDO compliance represent the next level in security. Learn why hackers ta…
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Understanding your backup window is crucial for effective data protection, but there's a twist - it's not just about backup speed. In this episode, we explore why focusing solely on backup speed misses the point entirely. The real measure of success? Your recovery capabilities. Join W. Curtis Preston and Prasanna Malaiyandi as they share war storie…
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Artificial Intelligence: The Future of Backup?
43:06
43:06
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43:06Artificial intelligence in backup isn't just marketing hype - it's changing how we protect our data. In this episode, W. Curtis Preston and Prasanna Malaiyandi break down the practical applications of AI in backup systems, from intelligent scheduling to ransomware detection. Learn how artificial intelligence helps with capacity planning, especially…
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Disaster Recovery Testing: The Execution Phase
33:11
33:11
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33:11In part two of our disaster recovery testing series, we explore the critical steps of executing a DR test. From coordinating teams and documenting issues to maintaining communication channels during the test, this episode covers everything you need to know about running an effective DR test. Host W. Curtis Preston and co-host Prasanna Malaiyandi sh…
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Choosing the Best Cloud Backup for Your Small Business
41:36
41:36
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41:36Looking for the best cloud backup for small business? This episode cuts straight to what matters. Host W. Curtis Preston and Prasanna Malaiyandi share their expert insights on choosing the right cloud backup solution for your small business needs. They break down the critical features every small business should look for in a cloud backup service, …
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Laptop Restore Nightmare: 900GB Recovery Story
48:32
48:32
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48:32A personal laptop restore that should have taken days stretched into weeks, highlighting critical lessons about backup and recovery. When our guest's laptop hard drive failed, he thought replacing it with an SSD and restoring from Carbonite would be straightforward. Instead, he faced constant system crashes, hardware challenges, and a restore speed…
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